A move last week by 36 U.S. senators may one day bear fruit for specialty crop producers and school children here.

Pennsylvania's senators, Republican Arlen Specter and Democrat Robert P. Casey Jr., joined Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and 33 others in signing a letter urging the Senate Agriculture Committee to double the $1.6 billion allocated for specialty crops in the 2007 Farm Bill.

Specialty crops include items such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and even Christmas trees.

The group of senators wants to increase funding for initiatives including state competitiveness projects and the school nutrition program called the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program.

Currently, 25 Pennsylvania schools receive funding through the program, which gives a fruit and a vegetable to every student, free of charge, every day.

None of the schools is in Lancaster County, but additional funding would dramatically increase the number of schools able to participate in the program.

Additionally, the senators say, increased funding will directly aid the overall economy for specialty crops, which represent about half of U.S. crop cash receipts.

In July, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Farm Bill that dedicated $1.6 billion in mandatory funding over five years to specialty crop producers.

It marked the first time specialty crops were included in a Farm Bill.

The U.S. Senate is still working on its recommended changes to the Farm Bill.

CONTACT US: rrobinson@LNPnews.com or 481-6032